Memories of Forgotten Dreams
by Jounin Blade
Summary: Konohagakure, the hidden leaf village, has been destroyed. The few remaining ninja have scattered, and are just trying to survive. This is probably my last major fic, so enjoy. Updates are gonna be slow...
1. Weary Roads

Chapter 1 Traveler's Road  
  
The moon had risen long ago. Dinner was being cleared from the table when, amidst the clack of bowls and chopsticks hitting together, the dogs began barking. 'That's strange,' thought the farmer whose house had just been peaceful, 'I thought I put them in the back yard.' That was when the barking suddenly ceased.  
  
He ran through the house and flung open the front door. Outlined from the faint light coming from inside was a figure garbed in black, petting the German Shepherd. It sniffed lovingly at him, and the figure smiled before standing straight. He looked to be in his very early twenties, but there was something different about him.  
  
"I beg your pardon for the intrusion," he said in a breathy voice, clear as the night air," but if you could offer a weary traveler shelter for the night, I would be very much in your debt." Indeed, the years had wrought a great change over Uchiha Sasuke. His hard demeanor was replaced with a softer, sadly nostalgic air about him, and his eyes had a depth to them that was almost heartbreaking to look at.  
  
The farmer was at a loss, but finally seemed to at least pretend to trust the stranger. "Well, we already ate, but we can spare a room. Just for tonight, though," he said in a voice in stark contrast to that of the shinobi. Sasuke bowed low.  
  
"I thank you," he said, and with that, the night truly began.  
  
Inside the house was a scene of chaotic peace. The house itself was sparingly decorated; simple, but it suited its purpose and was in no way in need of a change.   
  
The raven-haired man was led to a small room in the back. It was even less decorated than the rest of the house, with only a futon on the floor and a small table set in the middle. 'Better than nothing,' thought Sasuke, and after casting the stranger a sideways glance the farmer left him alone. Sasuke unshouldered his pack and rummaged through the contents a little. It didn't look too bad, about two more days of food, a fresh set of clothes, and a few weapons were left. He pulled out an apple and crunched on it for a while, looking out the window. Cicadas and crickets stole the night, and stars littered the sky. The breeze swept the leaves into a mellow dance. The night was beautiful. Both beautiful and dark.  
  
After a while, Sasuke seated himself in the main living room. Across from him was what appeared to be the grandmother, a nice old lady whom he immediately liked. The farmer was on his right, about ten feet away. His wife was next to him, having just finished putting her children to bed. After a time, the farmer's wife spoke up.  
  
"What's that headband you wear? It's a shinobi headband, I think, but I don't recognize the symbol." Sasuke looked down for a long moment.  
  
"It was the symbol of the hidden leaf village, right?' asked the grandmother. Sasuke just nodded.  
  
"Well, I don't recognize it," said the girl. In a way, she almost reminded Sasuke of Sakura.  
  
"No, you wouldn't. They disappeared, oh, five years ago now."   
  
"Not in the least," said Sasuke, fingering his tattered forehead protector," we were destroyed, but we are still here. Just scattered and wandering like ronin."   
  
"That's what I thought," said the grandmother," a village that strong wouldn't just up and go. But who would have been able to destroy you? Earth village rules now as the strongest, but they were nothing then."  
  
"That's what we thought, too," said Sasuke, the sorrow in his voice evident. " I was fifteen, but I have relived it every night since."  
  
Silence fell again until the farmer, who had just listened until now, could not contain himself any longer. " What happened to the ninja of your village? It was no small task to destroy that place, who could have that power? Even Iwa no Kuni at their current power couldn't have done it that fast."  
  
"But they did."  
  
"It's impossible."  
  
"I stand here as proof, and I know how they did it, too."  
  
"How?" Sasuke looked around, then down. It pained him to tell the story, but it pained him even more to not tell it.  
  
"It all started when I was fifteen…" 


	2. Burning Sky on a Happy Day

Chapter 2 Burning Sky on a Happy Day  
  
  
  
The mid-day sun burned down in unbearable heat. Insects were cowering under any shelter they could find, as were most of Konohagakuri's residents. But for the young ninja teams, this was good training for hot climates. For that reason, no one was in the classrooms. The lucky ones were by streams. The unlucky ones, to put it plainly, weren't.   
  
Team 7 found themselves by a small waterfall. They were doing one-on-one hand-to-hand training with Kakashi, who seemed to like the heat. It was amazing how much they had all matured in 3 years, and even Sakura's skills could stand against her teachers', at least for a time. Naruto and Sasuke had both grown, and Naruto was actually almost 6 feet tall.   
  
Everyone was exhausted. Naruto, having just finished a nearly hour-long bout with his teacher, was sprawled on the ground, almost unable to move. Sasuke sat perched on a rock. He had discarded his normal clothes and was wearing only his shorts and tabi. It seemed the heat was suffocating. Naruto only wore shorts and a shirt, and Sakura was in a thin shirt with her normal shorts on. She was fighting Kakashi, currently being driven back towards the waterfall. One more hit, and she went over the edge, landing in the pool below.   
  
Kakashi laughed, a sign of approval, and finally said what they had all wanted to hear. " Good work today, you're dismissed." The next second, all that could be seen of team 7 was three figures running in the distance.  
  
"Huh, you'd think they were relieved or something," he remarked, flipping open Icha Icha Paradise and seating himself on a rock.  
  
Once the heat of noon had passed, the shops opened again and the hustle of commerce could be heard. So, of course, Naruto treated everyone to ramen in honor of Hinata's birthday, and nearly everyone came to celebrate. Even Kakashi and Sasuke were there. Iruka was buying ramen as fast as he could, and Naruto was having an eating contest with Shikamaru. Currently, the blonde shinobi had eaten 16 bowls and was on his 17th. Shikamaru had given up at 9.  
  
"Dude, you know the contest's over, right?"  
  
"Whats your point," asked Naruto in between slurps of pork and miso ramen.   
  
"Wow," added Ino," he actually came up for air." As a group of spectators closed in around Naruto to watch him continue on to his 19th bowl, Kakashi stepped in.  
  
"Naruto, you know we have survival training again tomorrow, right?" Naruto's eyes bulged for a second before he calmly put his chopsticks aside and began to stare at his bowl longingly. Sakura and Hinata started to talk, and after a time the party calmed down. Shikamaru and Ino left hand-in-hand, and Kakashi started laughing to himself.  
  
'Twisted perv,' thought Sasuke, who was at the back of the noodle bar. But when he looked down at his drink, something was wrong. There were ripples in his water. And they were growing. 


	3. Fighting the Wind

Chapter 3 Fighting the Wind  
  
He stared in shock for a moment. Surely it could have been someone bumping into his table. That was what he told himself. But when he looked up at Kakashi, he met two eyes instead of one. A fight was to begin. And at that moment, the strike began.  
  
A massive earthquake tore apart the city. Trees fell into houses that had already been toppled, and the number of dead grew exponentially with every passing second. Screams shredded the landscape, buildings crashed to the ground with sickening crunches and bangs, and fire was everywhere. And it continued for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, after nearly twenty minutes of hell, the quake ended.   
  
Naruto and Hinata found themselves near the building where Naruto had first stolen the forbidden scrolls, which had amazingly little damage to it. From there, they had a commanding view of the decimated front gates and their surroundings. They were the first to see the enemy.  
  
The Earth-nins came like a flood. Not through the gate, though. Under it. They had created a new jutsu allowing them to move under the earth. It was called the subterranean strike method. But Naruto didn't know that. Al he knew was that nearly a thousand ninja had risen from the ground like the dead, and he had not waited to se who they were. There were a thousand more Narutos that the enemy had to face, and they attacked without warning. But the real one was running with Hinata, and they ran long and hard.  
  
Kakashi found himself with both Sasuke and Sakura, inside a house that had only the roof caved in at certain points. They waited a long time, just listening to the sounds of chaos outside those walls. Suddenly, Kakashi jumped out the window, and then reappeared moments later with two teenagers, one in each arm.  
  
"Sensei, let me down!" Sakura nearly fell over. Even now, Naruto was his loudmouth self.   
  
"Alright." He set the blonde shinobi and his girlfriend over by the remenants of a kitchen table. Sasuke sat on the counter, looking out the small window, and Sakura was against the opposite wall.  
  
"What is going on," asked Sakura, just mumbling to herself.  
  
"Earth ninjas," wheezed Naruto. The running was starting to catch up to him. Kakashi's eyes went wide. He quickly walked over to the young shinobi and gently lifted him off the ground, setting him on his feet.  
  
"You mean that they triggered the earthquake?"  
  
"Yeah, but…then they came out of the ground. I sent out a bunch of doppelgangers and we ran." The teacher stared blankly at his student for a moment. Then he sat down.  
  
"Shit." While this sunk in to everyone, Sasuke looked back out of the window. He pulled his head back just in time to dodge a barrage of shuriken. "Shit," he mumbled.  
  
"Let's GO! NOW!" yelled Kakashi as a ninja knocked down the front door. He died instantly from a kunai being embedded in his throat. More spilled in, and the group ran towards the back door. Kakshi pointed out where to go, and the rest just ran. Hinata made it to the street first, and paid for it. She never had time to notice the shuriken whiz by. She never saw Naruto run over to her.  
  
"Hinata!" he screamed.  
  
"Naruto, get BACK HERE!" but Kakshi grabbed Sakura, dragging her the other direction, and the last she saw of the blonde-haired teen was swallowed by an explosion of golden-red chakra.  
  
The blast was like a sonic boom that razed everything within a hundred feet of where the boy had stood. With Sakura watching, the bot had disappeared.   
  
The group now made their way to the center of town, where the Hokage was. Amazingly, his house had withstood the entire earthquake plus all attempts made by enemies to topple it. War was everywhere, but Kakashi cut a straight path through the chaos, and the two chunin followed. They arrived inside the residence without incidence. Kakashi was soaked in blood, but it wasn't clear who's blood it was.  
  
Inside the office were nearly forty jounin and a few chunin, Sasuke and Sakura being among them.   
  
"I'm here, sir," said Kakashi, and the Hokage looked up.   
  
"I know."  
  
"What should we do. I heard that these are earth ninja, and that they triggered the earthquake, and to top that they have a new jutsu that allows them to travel underground. So should we kill them or spare them?"  
  
"This is no time for games, Kakashi. You know as well as I do how hopeless our situation is. Are you willing to risk everything we have left in a headlong battle?" The jounin looked on silently. Then the building gave way. Glass and wood just shattered as the structure fell, and the occupants were flung around like leaves on the wind.   
  
Sakura and Sasuke crawled from the wreckage with no major injuries. They looked around and saw that Kakashi was already fighting alongside the Hokage. The two had somehow managed to get swords and were carving circles in the ranks of the enemy. Both of the chunin knew they were of no use there. The enemy was closing in, and soon they would be trapped. So they ran.  
  
The two remaining members of team 7 fled into the forest with the enemy ninjas following closely. All of a sudden, Sakura was not there. Neither were the earth ninjas that had been in pursuit. Sasuke was alone in the forest that he had so often wandered. But they were now empty. He turned to see where the enemy had gone, but there was no trace. They had used their new jutsu. But Sakura hadn't, and now he could see where she was. One of her shoes was next to the river that she had trained near earlier that day. But it was not the same river. Now it was raging with floodwaters poured in by the earthquake. In the blink of an eye, everyone was gone. 


	4. author's notes are pointless, but this o...

A/N: sorry about the last chapter. There were a lot of spelling mistakes and such. I had to write fast, cause I have to upload stuff without my parents knowing.I'll update as soon as I can. Also, thanks to all the reviews. Never gotten that many. Anyway, thanks and cya. 


	5. Stranger of Fire

Chapter 4 Stranger of Fire  
  
The room remained silent for several minutes after the boy finished his story. Sasuke stared at the ground, not moving. Tears silently made their way down the woman's cheeks, and her husband held her close.   
  
"Everyone?" she managed to ask.  
  
"No. A few survived. I've spent the last five years trying to track them down. A few times I nearly succeeded. But these are the best ninja, and they do not want to be found." She smiled.  
  
"That's good." After a few more minutes, Sasuke excused himself and they all headed off to bed.   
  
He lay unmoving and unsleeping for hours. Visions of those final minutes haunted him at night every time he closed his eyes. The loss of everything, the feel of everything and everyone being ripped away right when they began to matter. That was what was left of Uchiha Sasuke. Then the windows shattered.  
  
Everyone sat up. The blast had been real, and from what Sasuke could tell, it had been some very major explosives. He raced out of the window to find himself staring into the eyes of the Anbu of Earth Village. He chuckled softly to himself.   
  
"Back again, guys?" he asked, crouching low. What seemed to be their leader lunged at him. Bang, a shuriken went through him and into the man standing behind him. "Do you guys ever learn? You killed everything important to me, and now it's MY TURN!" An explosion rocked the ground, but this time from the chakra of the ninja, and the lifeless forms of Anbu crumpled to the ground like leaves. When the farmer looked out of his broken window, all he saw was nearly forty corpses, and Sasuke holding a daito (long sword). Sasuke turned to him and bowed low.  
  
"Thank you for your hospitality, but I will be leaving now." With that, he walked on into the night. Fading again.  
  
For the third time that night, a massive explosion ripped apart the landscape. But this one was farther away, and was made from an extraordinary amount of chakra. Sasuke ran in the direction of the fight, hoping beyond hope that he would be there in time to help whoever was there.  
  
There were nearly fifty more Anbu in the clearing. They had one enemy. They were losing.  
  
His blasts of fire, Sasuke's breath of the fireball technique, were decimating what were supposedly the strongest members of their village. The raven-haired shinobi watched numbly, as if in a dream, as the boy no older than him cut down his opponents. It was llike the boy was dancing, he played with death and didn't care what the outcome was. There was an insane smile upon his lips, and he abandoned his fireball technique for a bokato (a wooden sword). Even though the wood was rounded and dull, it cut his opponents in half with one swing.   
  
In no time, he had destroyed the Anbu of the Earth Village. He smiled, then looked up to the night sky and mumbled one word. Then he walked over to where Sasuke stood.  
  
They both stared at each other in amazement, not willing to believe what they saw. Finally, the blonde spoke up.  
  
"They busted up the only ramen stand for miles, but there's a bar about a mile back. Let's eat." Sasuke smiled. That was just like him.  
  
"I'm buying." With that, the two walked off in silence. Naruto and Sasuke just smiled. The night had now truly begun. 


	6. Yanagi Ni Kazae

Chapter 5 Yanagi ni Kazae  
  
The bar had a reminiscent feel to it. Or, at least, that was what Naruto thought when they walked in. But maybe it was the fact that Sasuke was alive. Whatever it was, it didn't matter.  
  
The two got a table at the back and, after ordering some drinks, just looked around for a little while. The bar was fairly empty, just the bartender, a few waiters, three big guys at the bar, and a duo shooting pool accompanied the two shinobi.   
  
The waiter returned with the drinks, and the two sat in more silence. After about five minutes, Naruto had to speak up.  
  
"So are you going to start the conversation, or should I."  
  
"You just did."   
  
"Dammit. I was sure you would talk first."  
  
"Nice try."  
  
"So are you going to tell me what happened, or do I have to beat it out of you?"  
  
"There's nothing to tell," the raven-haired man sighed," it just happened. I was alone in the forest, and just kept wandering." Then there was more silence. "What about you?" Naruto stared at the ground.  
  
"I ran over to Hinata, but she was gone. They killed her before I could even say bye. Then I just blanked out. When I woke up, I was standing in a crater made by my own chakra. There was no one around, no one had survived. I managed to find Hinata's body and bury her, but after that, I destroyed what was left of the city in rage. Then I ran. I've been hunting their Anbu ever since." Naruto looked up at his former rival, asking the question with his eyes. Sasuke just shook his head. Sakura hadn't survived. Naruto nearly crashed then. He was so nauseous that he nearly fell out of his chair. He staggered out of the bar to get some air, and ended up in a tree outside.  
  
The moon was a huge crescent shape in the night sky, and the scent of night calmed the blonde down some. This was where he belonged now. Unseen in the night. Sasuke went up to the room he had rented and fell asleep almost instantly.   
  
Naruto sat alone, thinking of all that he had been through. He never brought out the memories of his friends when he could help it. But tonight, he let his mind run free. The chunin exam was what he remembered the most, with all the other people from far-away villages. Rock Lee, Gaara, Tenten, Neji, Hinata… Here he stopped. They had been going out for a week that day. She had been so happy when he finally asked her out, happy to the point of tears. They shared the best times of Naruto's life together, there in Konohagakure village. But then they came. They tore away all that he loved and cherished, all that he had worked his life for. Now he was lost again. Yanagi ni kazae. A will before the wind.  
  
It was at this very moment that a song reached the boy's ears. A lone traveler walked the road, with nothing but a pack on his shoulders. He whistled a low and mournful tune that told of many hard years. His head was covered in a hat much like those of the mist village wore, way back when the boy had been a bodyguard for old man Tazuna. Watching the man go by, Naruto truly woke from the dream that had been going on since he talked to Sasuke. It seemed like so long ago, now. But still, the boy had to trudge on. Now for both of them.  
  
Naruto followed the man into the bar silently and walked up to his room. He took a quick shower and was about to climb into bed when the door opened.  
  
"I was told that I could find a shinobi here," said a smooth voice.  
  
"What about it? I have nothing that would be of service to anyone. Now leave." Still the door did not close, and Naruto was about to yell when he looked up. And was greeted by a single eye. 


	7. Wraith of Silver

Chapter 6 Wraith of Knowledge  
  
Naruto stared blankly at his former teacher, while Kakashi just smiled at him.  
  
'Too weird,' thought Naruto. Then there was more silence. 'Damn, what's up with the silence tonight?'  
  
"Let's go," said the silver-haired ninja.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Anbu," was all Kakashi could say before his former student was ready and out of the door. Sasuke waited for the both of them at the bottom of the steps, and beyond him was what looked like the rest of Earth village's Anbu. 'Shit,' he thought.  
  
The three shinobi walked out of the bar with packs shouldered and heads down. Walking along at a leisurely pace, they had almost gotten away when they were stopped by some new recruit out to make a name for himself.  
  
"Where do you think you're going? This road has been closed. Identify yourselves!" Naruto chuckled to himself and slowly walked forward.  
  
"I've got this one." He said with his foxy grin widening into an insane smile. He unshouldered his pack and walked straight to the captain. Raising his head, Naruto looked the earth-nin dead in the eyes, but they were no longer the eyes that belonged to the orphan fox. They were a bright crimson red, glowing slightly in the dark, and black surrounded them. Wind swept around the man's lean frame, and an explosion of chakra sent most of the army flying. Immediately Naruto was among them, tearing throats and slicing with the bokato he had acquired earlier. A bloodlust had filled him that would never go away, and the more he gave in the more he enjoyed killing. The act of avenging the deaths of his friends was something he could take pleasure in, and Naruto had not lost count of the enemies he had fought over those long years. The two men accompanying him stood back in amazement, and in no time the fox had torn the enemy to shreds.  
  
"Let's go," said Naruto, exhaling and, by doing so, returning to normal. Three shinobi walked into the forest, fading into the night again.  
  
After a short day's hike, encompassing nearly forty miles of mountainous territory, the group halted and set up camp. Sunset found a group of three hidden among the leaves. As day fell into cold night, they started their fire and sat gazing into the orange coals, flames dancing in the dark as grass in a field. Nothing was said between them. There was nothing to say. Everyone knew that there were more. Everyone knew that Kakashi had found them. Everyone knew what had to be done. 


	8. The Ground Beneath Our Feet

Chapter 7 The Ground Beneath Our Feet  
  
Three days had passed since the incident at the inn. Wide areas had been traversed with Kakashi leading them, and both of the younger shinobi now had no idea as to where they were. The jounin, however, had apparently crossed this area many times, and knew all the paths that should not be taken. Thus they arrived at the hidden village of storm, the city of konohagakure survivors.   
  
Many familiar faces greeted the two boys (well, not quite boys), but there was no time for reunions amidst the clatter of the newly formed city. The Hokage had summoned a council of all the jounin, and Kakashi was taking them along.   
  
Two uniformed guards stood at the entrance to the main building. Sasuke and Naruto were awestruck. A giant, feudal-era castle was nestled in an almost sheer rock face. Looking out, one could see to the northern sea.  
  
"When you enter," said Kakashi, his single eye fixed on the doorway," bow first to the statue on your left, then to the Hokage. Many things have changed here, and this is not a place for true shinobi." The two guards nodded at each other and pulled aside the huge maple doors. Inside was all the proof the group needed to tell that this was not a place for them.  
  
Politics seemed to be all that the remaining "shinobi" cared about. Assistants wandered to and fro carrying out menial tasks, while others busied themselves attending to the lavish decorations. A large group of pathetic-looking men hung around the new Hokage, who was seated on a throne of ivory. Rock Lee.  
  
Much to the dismay of Kakashi, Naruto strode forward with a bold step, dismissing all ritual.  
  
"What the fuck is this? I've never seen so many losers arranged so neatly in one spot. This is the amazing team of Jounin? More like cadets from the school if you ask me. What's that? You didn't ask me? WELL TOO FUCKING BAD!"  
  
"How dare you shout such insults and accusations in my hall!" yelled Lee, obviously not used to having his pride insulted.  
  
"Get your ass off that chair and take a look outside. You may have been a good fighter once, but I can already tell where this is leading. All you want is power, and you will forsake your people for it. You've broken down and become some paper-pushing political ass who thinks power is in signing stuff and filling out those damn sheets. Get the hell out of my sight before I tear out your throat!"   
  
"That's it, no one can insult the Hokage like that! Guards, arrest him!" Before anyone moved, however, Naruto was behind Lee with a kunai to his throat.   
  
"I said, get the hell out of here before you die in your own hall and be forever remembered as the Hokage who couldn't even survive in his own fortress." With that, Naruto turned and in one strike decimated the throne behind him. Shards flew through the air, and not one person in the room was not struck with awe.   
  
"Guards, GUARDS!" Rock Lee yelled in vain as a blonde boy he once knew advanced on him with fiery eyes. "What do you want from me?" he shrieked in terror. Naruto smiled.  
  
"It's simple enough. I want every true shinobi here to follow me to their revenge."  
  
"And what for? What is there to take back?" shouted a distant voice. Turning, Naruto was taken aback. In front of him, sitting coolly in a chair by the window, was a blonde girl he barely remembered. She stood, fairly short, but was still much taller than she used to be. Her eyes met his, an uncaring gaze that held nothing but his reflection. Two senbon held her hair up in a ponytail, and the only other weapon she wore was a small sword on her back. Naruto stood for a moment, and then walked slowly towards her. The moment continued forever. Or, at least, until the explosions took out the support pillars.  
  
Again, it's happening all over again was all Naruto could think of when the building collapsed. He wasn't too happy about the swarm of mercenaries, either. But what held his attention, still, was that blonde girl who was now fighting for her life and still held no expression on her face. Sakura, what's happened to you? he thought. Taking the nearest enemy, he stopped questioning and began living.  
  
Sakura fought with the grace of the wind. Her facial expression never changed, her footing never faltered, and she decimated opponents right and left. One particularly brilliant move left Naruto astonished. One shinobi was coming out of the ground, while another attacked her from behind. Sakura had flipped into a spinning handstand on the head of the first shinobi, and in doing so threw more shuriken than was needed into both of them, dismounting with a front flip and a kick into another chest. Ha, that's right, she was learning break dancing back home. Funny.   
  
Naruto and Sasuke were not doing badly themselves. Sasuke, while calm in nature, still wore his amazing intensity born of hate while in battle. He picked up a kunai that someone had thrown, not even noticing how fast it had been flying, and had thrown it before his glowing red eyes even registered what he had done. Needless to say, no one's skills were lax here.   
  
Kakashi, though apparently old, was faring much better than Rock Lee. He sported a nice gash running down his arm, but other than that, he probably could have taken on Zabuza again.   
  
When the fighting was over, there was almost nothing left. Here weren't many people left, for that matter. The esteemed Hokage had fallen very quickly, thus beheading the troupe of followers in his wake. Only the best survived, it had been every man for himself, and that was just how Naruto liked it. He said nothing, just looked skyward and whispered to himself," 1,000." 


End file.
